


Mud and games;

by Sairandhri



Category: Mahabharata - Vyasa, महाभारत | Mahabharat (TV 2013)
Genre: F/M, mal yudh, mallayuddh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-22
Updated: 2014-05-22
Packaged: 2018-02-04 09:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1773631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sairandhri/pseuds/Sairandhri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Have you been practicing?" he asked, circling the edge of the arena, eyes locked with hers.</p><p>Bhanumati smiled widely. "You think so, Arya?"</p><p>"Hmm," he lunged towards her, back bowed, in an attempt to lift her on his shoulder.</p><p>Bhanumati speedily dodged the move, and took the opportunity to grip his bicep and leap onto his back, knee against spine, and twist his arm flat against his shoulder blade.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mud and games;

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phandomoftheowl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phandomoftheowl/gifts).



> This is a work of fiction. It was first [posted on tumblr](http://nirantar.tumblr.com/post/86424558632/mud-and-games-for-phandomoftheowl-idea-by-her).
> 
> Idea by phandomoftheowl on Archive Of Our Own (and tumblr). Glossary at the end.

Bhanumati's arms were aching. She put the mace down and called for water. She wondered if it was a mistake to take lessons in what her maids called “manly arts”.

_You must know enough to defend yourself, should there ever need be._ The the deep voice echoed in her mind, dispelling all second guesses. He was right; every woman must know to defend herself if she has to, because immediate help might not be available, and who has seen the future? Besides, if there's an opportunity to learn, why not accept it? It wasn’t as if the lessons weren’t  _appealing_ ...

"Tired?" The same voice asked from the shadows.

She almost jumped. She hadn’t realized that he had been watching. "No, Arya. Not yet."

"Well," he said, coming forward, "If you are done with the mace, maybe we can practice wrestling today too?"

To his surprise, Bhanumati nodded. "I will just go and change then?"

Duryodhan was already taking his angavastra off. "Yes, please do," he said as he unhooked his heavy necklace.

He thought he heard a soft giggle, and turned to see Bhanumati’s petite figure retreat into the antechamber.

\----------

By the time Bhanumati returned to the malbhawan, her arya was beating the kridaangan.

“So,” Duryodhan said, getting up from the squat, “Do you remember what we learnt the last time?”

She nodded, recalling _Hanumanti_ and _Jambuvanti_ techniques, and how to combine them.

“Ready to practice?” She nodded again.

Both of them picked up handfuls of dirt and smacked it on their arms, thighs. Duryodhan closed his eyes in prayer to the deity. A second later, he felt a hand smearing dirt on his cheek and opened his eyes to see Bhanumati.

"What-- " he said, leaning away, "What are you doing-- "

"Blessing?" She said, with eyes a little too wide.

"What, no-- " his eyes followed her fingers as they moved from his other cheek to chin. "This isn't how you bless-- "

"But in the last lesson you said that opponents slather the arena dirt on themselves and each other as a sign of blessing," she said as her other fist opened on his collarbone.

Duryodhan could feel flush creeping up his neck. He was suddenly thankful for his highly tanned skin.

"Yes, I had said that," he ducked under her arm and picked up a pinch of clayey mud, "But I never mentioned any _slathering_ happening," he drew a dirt line on her forearm. "Now let's get started."

And so they began. Ducking, circling, grappling, twisting. Duryodhan always refrained from using his entire strength during these lessons, because his little girl of a wife was fragile. So he was pleasantly surprised to notice tangible improvement in Bhanumati's wrestling skills.

"Have you been practicing?" he asked, circling the edge of the arena, eyes locked with hers.

Bhanumati smiled widely. "You think so, Arya?"

"Hmm," he lunged towards her, back bowed, in an attempt to lift her on his shoulder.

Bhanumati speedily dodged the move, and took the opportunity to grip his bicep and leap onto his back, knee against spine, and twist his arm flat against his shoulder blade.

Duryudhan groaned as he landed on the compact ground, chin first.

Bhanumati's thumb was pressing into a particular pressure point and shooting flashes of pain through his muscles.

"Surrender?" She asked, voice barely betraying her heavy breathing.

Duryodhan slapped the ground thrice to indicate being let up. She just loosened her grip. He turned to face her, expressions a mix of pride and something else.

"Gotcha," she said softly, kneeling over him, knees on both sides of his waist.

He smirked up at his wife, resisting the urge to cup her face. He hadn't _touched_ her since their first night six months ago, when she had told him that she wasn't ready yet.

"You did," he said simply, lips stretching into a smile that was half smirk.

Bhanumati looked at him. She marveled at how much her perception of him had changed. From the intimidating crown-prince with the icy glare to the soft hearted man who'd stopped on their way back to Hastinapur from her swayamvar to give away more than half his jewelry to a group of farmers, out of sheer joy. She had felt his iron hard mask, and the turmoil underneath. She had seen him with his guard down, and seen him fiercely protective. She had seen many Duyrodhans. She counted herself lucky.

Bhanumati slowly leaned down, and rested her forehead on his. She could feel his sudden wary stillness, his surprise.

There was only silence between them, brittle as wires of sugar, and just as sweet. They breathed each other in.

Duryodhan's eyes widened when her hand slid behind his neck, and their lips brushed.

Stars exploding in his heart, he tugged her closer, and into an impassioned kiss.

\----------

**Author's Note:**

> I have tried to be true to the characters. All comments and criticism are welcome.
> 
>  
> 
> Glossary:
> 
>   * Arya: husband; noble
>   * angavastra: drape
>   * malbhavan: practice hall for wrestling
>   * kridaangan: sporting arena
>   * Hanumanti and Jambuvanti: techniques of malyuddh (or mud wrestling)
>   * swayamvar: a ceremony where the bride chooses her husband
> 



End file.
